


Warmth

by TheIttyBitty



Series: Ace!Cas [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Asexual Castiel, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 00:43:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2046546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIttyBitty/pseuds/TheIttyBitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asexual!Cas & Protective!Dean</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> [There's a second bit now if you guys are interested. It's just a little epilogue.]

Cas stands against the wall, nursing his cherry coke and wishing he were home. He's not one for parties usually, he doesn't like the noise and the crowds, but it's Jo's birthday and Dean convinced him to come.

  
Dean is currently getting himself something to drink across the house, and Cas is trying to be invisible. It must not be working, though, because Fergus Crowley sidles up and throws his arm around Cas.

  
"You look lonely." He oozes.

  
Cas shakes his head and takes a step to the side, away from Crowley. he manages to get a little distance, but not dislodge his arm. "Nope. Just waiting for Dean to get back."  
Crowley's arm drops. "Ah, your boyfriend."

  
"We're not dating." Cas corrects. "Just friends."

  
"Oh." Crowley grins and moves back into Cas's space, reaching out to trail his fingers up Cas's arm. "In that case, you and I could still have a bit of fun, yeah?"

  
Cas wants to kick himself. He's just terrible at telling when people are flirting. He hadn't meant to make Crowley think he's interested. God is he _not_ interested. Crowley is greasy, in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. He's conniving and slimy and he has a way of making everything sound sexual. He makes Cas _very_ uncomfortable.  
"Um, I'm sorry... no. I didn't mean... I'm- I'm not interested."

  
Crowley's face instantly switches from suggestive to mean. "What, you think you're too good for me? Is that it? I know you're not straight, I've never seen you with a girl, not once." He leans in close and jabs his finger into Cas's chest. "So you just think you're better, don't you?"

  
Cas takes another step back, gripping his drink tightly. "No I- I-"

  
He's cut off by a hand coming down hard on Crowley's shoulder and a familier voice says "Hey!"

  
Crowley spins and comes face to face with Dean, who looks angry. "What do you think you're doing, man?" Dean growls.

  
Crowley puts his hands up. "Just talking."

  
Dean doesn't back down. He uses his grip to move Crowley away from Cas. He practically drags him, Dean is strong and Crowley isn't and it's like a grownup and a ragdoll.  
"Yeah, well, it doesn't seem to me like he's enjoying your talk so maybe you should go talk to somebody else, how 'bout that?"

  
Crowley glares at Dean for a minute, but he's got nothing on Dean's angry stare and finally he spits "Fine!" and wrenches himself out of Dean's grip to stumble off into the crowd.

  
Dean looks at Cas then, his expression softening instantly. "You alright?"

  
Cas nods. "He was just being creepy."

  
Dean moves to lean against the wall next to Cas. "He was being an asshole." He grumbles.

  
Cas smiles into his Coke.

  
-o-

  
When Cas had told Dean, about a year into their friendship, that he was asexual Dean had been... confused. But he had also been much more supportive than Cas had expected. He'd gone home and done a bunch of googling and then come back with a better understanding of his friend. Not once had he said "You just haven't met the right person.". He'd never teased, he'd never prodded, he'd never suggested that Cas see a therapist.

Now, in their junior year of high school, Dean is just as supportive as he's always been.

  
-o-

  
Dean catches him at his locker. Cas tries to keep his face blank but Dean, being Dean, catches it right away.

  
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks, smile sliding into a concerned frown.

  
Cas shakes his head and forces a smile. "Nothing's wrong. How'd your paper for Wilson do?"

  
Dean doesn't waver. "Bullshit." He says, albeit gently. "You're a terrible liar. What's wrong?" After a beat he ducks his head and adds "I got a 95, thanks for asking."

  
Cas smiles again, this time it's genuine. "Good job! I knew you could get it!"

  
Dean's face starts to go red and he looks away. "Yeah, yeah. Quit changing the subject!"

  
Cas shakes his head. "It's nothing."

  
"You don't make that face over nothing."

  
"Well, it isn't important." Cas amends. He starts to turn away but Dean reaches out and grasps his elbow.

  
"Cas." He says gently. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

  
Cas nods and looks down. "Yeah. Just...." his throat grows thick with emotion. "Crowley said some things."

  
Dean straightens up. "Crowley? What did that asshat say?"

  
"Well, um, I guess he was mad because I didn't do... _whatever_ with him Saturday and he's been telling people about it. I've been called a "prude" a lot today. A couple of people have called me a "tease"." His voice breaks on the last word and he has to stop and swallow. "I know it shouldn't upset me, but it does." He whispers. He doesn't have a chance to say anything else, though, because Dean pulls him into a hug. He leans into it and practically melts. Dean is safe. Dean is home.

  
"That _motherfucker._ " Dean growls.

  
"Dean-"

  
"No! That asshole can't just spread rumors about you because you didn't want sleep with him! That slimy fuckin' bastard."

  
"It's not a big deal, Dean." Cas pulls back and attempts to calm him down. "I can handle being called a few names."

  
"But you shouldn't have to!" Dean says imploringly.

  
Cas puts a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine."

  
Dean doesn't look happy about it, but he concedes. "Yeah, alright."

 

Cas really should have known. It had been much too easy. By the end of the day four students (including one Fergus Crowley) are sent home because of injuries and Dean is suspended for fighting.

No one calls him a tease again.

  
-o-

  
Cas and Dean sit on the swings at Lowsett Park. The swing lazily, not moving more than a foot in either direction.

  
"My mom has been asking me when I'm going to get a girlfriend again." Cas says. He's got his arms wrapped around the swing chains, his head rests wearily against them.

  
Dean has been twisting his swing in one direction for the past minute, and now he lifts his feet off of the ground to spin faster and faster until he's just a blur. When he finally comes to a stop he looks dizzily at Cas. "I thought you talked to her about this."

  
Cas frowns. "She thinks I just need to try dating more and see if that "fixes me"."

  
"You tell that bitch there's nothing wrong with you!" Dean snaps.

  
"Dean!" Cas chastises.

  
"Fine! _I'll_ tell her! I don't see why she doesn't get it, it's not that complicated." He looks over at Cas, who gazes back bemusedly.

  
They sit quiet for a while, swinging peacefully back and forth.

  
"The thing is..." Cas says after a while. Dean looks over at his friend, who is chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip. "The thing is, I'd... well I'd _like_ a relationship, I think. I like doing relationship-y things. I like... cuddling and movie dates and stuff. Romantic stuff. Just..." he swallows. "Nobody's into me if sex is off the table." He gives a forced laugh, trying to make up for how depressing he just sounded, but Dean just stares back at him.

  
"You don't know that." His friend says softly.

  
Cas rolls his eyes. "Have you _met_... _people?_ Unless they're asexual too nobody is going to want to be in a relationship with me."

  
Dean looks like he wants to say something, but then he doesn't. They go back to swinging. After a while Dean digs his heels into the dirt, bringing himself to a halt. He stares down at his feet and mumbles something.

  
"What?" Says Cas, bringing himself to a stop as well. "You're mumbling."

  
"I said... I said "I would"." Dean says to his sneakers.

  
Cas squints. "Would what?"

  
Dean looks up, lets out a breath, and turns his head to look at Cas. "I would want to be in a relationship with you, even of there's no sex."

  
Cas sits, dumbfounded. A warmth blooms in his chest "You... you... huh. I didn't, uh, I didn't see that coming."

  
"Sorry." Dean says, a blush is creeping up his cheeks. "I just made things weird, didn't I?"

  
Cas smiles. "No! I... I like you, a lot. I always... but I didn't think... but you like sex."

  
Dean shrugs. "I like you more. It can work, I've done a lot of reading about it!"

  
"You have?" Cas asks. The warmth grows.

  
Dean nods. "Other people make it work, I think we could too. I mean... if you want."

  
Cas is smiling so big he's hurting his face. "Yeah." He says. "I want to try."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm over [here](https://deanlightful.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.


End file.
